Productive Partnerships With Public Entities and Private Industries

Here’s a quick snapshot of some achievements accomplished thus far

FY10-14 Associate and Certificate majors increased by 26 percent from 7,808 to 9,845.

FY10-14 Increased High Demand Job Area Degrees by 22 percent from 2,731 to 3,341.

FY10-14 investments in workforce development through TVEP totaled more than $19 million.

UA has taken leadership roles on industry-supported workforce development plans with strategic outcomes in Career & Technical Education, Health, Fisheries-Seafood- Maritime, and Mining. The highly acclaimed Maritime Workforce Development Plan was completed in close collaboration with industry and is being executed.

The Maritime Workforce Development Plan was acknowledged for exemplifying “innovative training solutions and a sustained and effective approach to developing quality staff in the maritime sector,” by making the Llyod’s List 2015 “short list” in the training category.

UA has received more than $7.5 million in federal Dept. of Labor grants targeted for Alaskan workers displaced by foreign trade.

Both UAF’s CTC and UAA’s KPC and Anchorage Extension Sites received the North America Process Technology Alliance (NAPTA) Process Technology certification and endorsement after a 2014 audit of their programs. UAF CTC and KPC are now among only 19 colleges in North America to receive the NAPTA endorsement. The partnership with NAPTA helps UA maintain the high standards necessary to meet the needs of Alaska’s PTEC workforce.

UAA High Demand Job Area (HDJA) program awards set a new record high with 1,824 awards in 2014. This total represents 70 percent of all certificates and awards at UAA. Major contributors included: Health awards (665), Business, Finance & Management (373), Teacher Education (228), and Engineering (125). The area with the largest single increase was in Transportation (up 42% to 120 awards, an increase of 35 awards over last year).

UAF Mining and Geological Engineering program was listed first on Mining Global Magazine’s top ten list of mining colleges and schools in the United States Feb. 2015.

UAF Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) program, directed by Cam Carlson, was ranked as 2nd in the US for affordability of program and 5th in the US for quality of program in the 2014 Emergency Management Degree Guide.

UAS Mine Training Center opened in 2010 to address the underground mine training for Southeast and the balance of state industry needs. The program is growing student enrollment rapidly from Alaska and Canada.

Future Educators of Alaska was federally recognized as a Career Technical Student Organization integrating leadership with traditional knowledge to encourage rural education as career paths for students.

We can't do it alone

UA's track record in educating and training baccalaureate-level graduates in high-demand areas such as education, nursing and engineering is strong. But more opportunities in specific workforce niches need to be explored. Associate degrees are often required because employers today want critical thinkers as well as technical experts who can manage their logistics and operate their technology.

To ensure UA graduates are preferred in the hiring process for Alaska jobs, UA continues to work closely with the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, local industry and local communities. They are the partners who will help us identify how many, where and what those future jobs will look like, so UA can plan, design and resource the customized workforce education and training programs Alaska needs the most.

Issue and Effect Statements

The Issue statements below address compelling concerns raised by Alaskans through more than 80 listening sessions conducted by the University of Alaska. The Effect statements associated with each Issue statement express what UA intends to achieve as a high-performing education institution.

ISSUE A: Declining oil production suggests a significant degree of uncertainty in state funding for higher education for the next few years. At the same time, the state is facing additional needs for workforce education, employee training, community outreach and research. UA must work more pro-actively with its partners to identify the contributions that both UA and its partners must commit to meet those needs.

Effect:UA meets needs of the public sector and private industry for skilled employees and for research solutions via partnerships that are strategic, mutually beneficial and address the needs of the state.

ISSUE B:Partners have specific needs that may not be addressed through conventional approaches. For example, employers may need non-credit training, training at the work site or a few days of intensive training rather than semester-based courses.

Effect:UA is flexible, innovative and responsive in working with partners.

ISSUE C: Alaska Native corporations, tribal governments and other Alaska Native entities are a unique and powerful force in Alaska’s economy. They hire UA graduates and some provide considerable financial aid to students. However, meaningful partnerships between UA and these entities are few and limited.

Effect:UA is fully engaged with Alaska Native corporations, tribal governments, non-profit organizations and other private and public entities to meet the education and research needs of Alaska Native peoples, promote Alaska Native student success and support Alaska Native economic and cultural development.